The Shadows Fall Behind If You Walk Towards The Light.
Isabel Allende a Chilean author wrote:
“I have to act from a place of good intention, a place of love and
kindness… that will allow me to walk in this world without creating
any damage.”
During discussions over the years often people have thought that I am too pessimistic when I have stated that I do not believe there will ever be peace within our world. Whilst many seem to talk of a shift towards a more spiritual existence in the wider world, I fail to see any true change in the collective consciousness. I am aware of course that I may be wrong but it is a belief that I have at this moment in time.
I look at the headlines, I see the poverty and lack of basic needs, food, water and shelter against the opulence and excess of the celebrity culture displayed in increasingly vulgar ways. I don’t see any change of focus or aspirations within widespread culture from the attainment and worth of physical beauty and the acquisition of possessions as a way to validate our existence or ourselves as individuals.
The people in power who shape our world, that is are given a platform to profess their views about how others should live, the lessons that should be taught in schools, seem to be those who believe that the pinnacle of life is directly related to the money you make. There is no worth or point in working to the benefit of others unless it ultimately and generously benefits the self.
And whilst this remains the motivation for the actions and decisions made by the few that govern our society and the world at large there will always be an imbalance, always those who are overlooked, forgotten or simply dismissed.
History seems to repeat itself. The harsh lessons that our grandparents bore witness to are often too distant for the generations after us to comprehend, and so the learning has to be repeated, albeit in a different form. We see comparisons with the events that led up to World War 1 and World War 2 with events taking place now.
But as each child becomes an adult and their parents “know less “ than their offspring, so the warnings from the past are dismissed as the worries of age, the concerns of nostalgia or the smothering of parents too old to understand the modern ways of the world as it is now.
And herein lies the fault; this is why there will be no harmony in our lifetime or the next.
But in all honesty, I do not believe it is a fault. I believe that the world is as it should be. There is no harmony or unity with others otherwise there would be no lessons to learn as a Spirit undergoing a physical incarnation. Each Spirit is here to refine their vibration through the journey of their life. And each day thousands of babies are born and so a new pathway begins. If this world were perfect then there would be no need for it.
If we did not undergo the harsher lessons of life we would not be able to seek and find the greater meaning behind our existence. Nor at the very least be able to empathise with others who share the same or similar experience to us whereby we can be a listening ear or a guiding voice.
It is the commonalities of our experiences that can bind us together as people and can bring forth respect and compassion for others. Though it might not bring about a world we can only dream of or lyricise about, it can help to bring a little bit more light into the darkness where others currently dwell.
The contrast in all of life is light and shadow, and so it is within our world. We cannot presume to know the reasons why people do things, nor judge the pathway that they are upon and the ultimate fate that awaits them. But what we can do is to seek out the light in all the things that befall our world and our individual journey. We can learn the lessons of our lives with optimism, hope and faith.
There will be times, as I am sure there have already been, when most question the reason for their being and feel a sense of disappointment and regret over events and relationships that did not unfold as they expected or desired.
If only more understood that every single experience of our life not only shapes who we are, but also those who are a part of our experiences. They are not just our experiences alone. There are sometimes outcomes that are favourable to us, that are not to others as a result. It is not that we should tip toe around the things that we do, but it means that there is a responsibility for us to act in ways that are honourable, honest and fair.
Spiritualists have Personal Responsibility as the Fifth Principle, and indeed anyone who is following their spiritual pathway, must be aware of the need, not just for their self but for others too; to act and speak in a way that recognises and acknowledges the Divine Spirit that is within all things.
If we realise that everyone has lost something, everyone is afraid of something and everyone loves something then there are really few differences that should cause us to forget that the reason for their being is due to the will, the cause and the power of the Divine Spirit. As such all are loved unconditionally. There is a light within everyone that cannot be extinguished and nor should it be. The Divine Spirit or Creative Force makes no mistakes in that which it manifests. The mistakes are made by humankind.
But it is an understanding that cannot be foistered upon another, it is an awareness that each must come to in their own time and in accordance with their Spirit’s unfoldment.
For those of us who do have this realisation it is our responsibility to keep this at the forefront of our minds at all times, during all dealings with others. We need to be mindful that we hold a beautiful truth and understanding that means we are the light bearers for others.
We cannot change the world, for it is not our task to do so. But we can effect a change in the way that we treat others and the world around us. And if each person strives to do this, then there will be a ripple of light that will, in some way, however minute, illuminate others. It may be the spark that reignites the light within them. It may be the moment when a deeper questioning and understanding begins as the darkness starts to lift.
If we can steel ourselves for the challenges that our own lives will bring to us, if we can remember the love that is within us and be brave enough to share it with as many people as we meet, if we can “walk in this world without creating any damage” then maybe, hopefully, one day our world will have more harmony than conflict, and more compassionate than selfish actions.
All this we can do if we keep onwards on our pathways. After all, the shadows fall behind if you walk towards the light.